Chapter 4, part 1

“That is a very impressive bruise you are sporting, Catherine,” the prince said. They were alone in the carriage, and had been silent for the first few minutes of the ride. She looked up at him. He was smiling slightly, looking as if he was feeling energized by the events of the day.

“I am very happy you decided to join me by the way. Sorry about the mess I created for you.”

Catherine could not think of an answer to any of the things he had said and looked at her hands.

“Do you know what I'm doing as well? You really do not have to be afraid if that is the case.”

“No. Your majesty. I don't know.”

“Oh? Good. You still do not have anything to worry about of course. I merely plan to talk to you for a bit. But for now it might be sufficient to get you cleaned up and maybe have someone look at your injuries.”

Catherine bit her lip and felt stupid.

“Thank you,” she mumbled.

“Don't mention it. Now, we'll be going out of the city for a week or so. I have a few very important questions to ask you, and I'm afraid my usual residence is slightly crowded. I hope you don't mind?”

“...No, your Majesty,” she said. It took all she had not to cry again. The prince seemed oblivious. He was a great deal friendlier than she had ever seen him, but she felt so uneasy in his company that his chatting and small jokes were more than she could bear.

“Oh, please don't bother with the majesty. I believe a sir will suffice for now. That is, unless you are more comfortable just calling me Alexander?”

“No, sir, I'm not.”

“Fine, fine. I say, you really are a frightful mess. Was this your wedding attire, bloodstains and all?”

Catherine sobbed, then started to cry. The prince stiffened, then handed her a handkerchief that felt as if it was made from silk.

“I'm sorry, Catherine. I forgot that this must have been an upsetting adventure for you. I'll leave you alone now.”

Catherine blew her nose in the fine fabric and nodded. She noticed that the cut in her mouth was still bleeding slightly. A drop of blood escaped her lips when she gasped for air. She thought she heard the prince murmur “priceless,” but she could not be sure.

They arrived more than an hour later at a mansion in the middle of a forest. The sun had begun setting, and Catherine was not sure she was still awake. Two female servants led her to a suite where they helped her bathe, something that made her feel very uncomfortable, but she did not have any energy left to protest their firm handling of her.

They dressed her in a new dress that was too lose, but otherwise fit her well. They took the time to comb through her long, messy hair while she ate a small meal, then helped her undress again and go to bed. Despite the strange environment she did not remember being awake after the two women had left the room.

Waking up in a large bed under soft covers and ornamental curtains was strange. Having someone dress her and help her with almost everything was worse. She felt like a newborn child. They took her to a pleasant looking room with a few comfortable chairs in front of a fire and full of bookshelves. The prince was waiting for her, looking more serious than he had in the carriage. He greeted her distractedly and rushed through a few niceties, making sure to ask if the bruise on her face was not causing her any discomfort.

“Now, you will have to tell me about yourself, in particular any form of education that you have received,” he said, as soon as she had assured him she was fine.

“I went to school once in a while to be taught how to read, but I'm not very good. Apart from that I was helping my step mother at home. And she was teaching me how to sew in the last two weeks.”

“You mean to tell me that is all?”

“Yes, sir.”

The prince stared at her intensely for a while. She was uncomfortable, but a little reassured by the fact that she was in the room and in the house by his orders. As long as she only followed what seemed to be expected of her, she could not really do anything wrong.

“Have you been doing anything at all to change your circumstances? Even just wishing for it? I promise I will not punish you, no matter what it is, as long as you tell me.”

Catherine felt faint, and started going through her entire life in the hopes of finding something she could tell him that would make him stop saying such scary things.

“I was sometimes daydreaming, sir,” she whispered.

“Very good,” he said, leaning forward and looking at her with renewed interest. “Tell me everything you thought about. From the beginning, please.”

“I – I used to go to a small park, when I didn't have anything else to do, and sit on a rock there. And then I'd imagine leaving the city and living on the road like a sort of gypsy. Maybe finding a forest and survive there on my own. Like, killing animals and building a hideout and lighting fires, sir,” she said, blushing at the ridiculousness of it all.

The prince sighed and rolled his eyes, and sat back in his seat. The crackling fire made the silence between them seem easier, but Catherine still felt like hiding. Everything around her made her feel uncomfortable. She would have felt as if she was dirtying the place if she had not been bathed and dressed in what seemed to be a very expensive dress. The knowledge that the clothes on her body were worth more than she would be able to pay if she were to ruin them or run away in them did little to relax her.



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